


Talkin Baby

by sparkinside (boomersoonerash)



Series: 52 Weeks of Stories [32]
Category: Hanson (Band), The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Zombie Apocalypse, Alternate Universe - No Zombies, Babies, Crossover, Crossover Pairings, Daryl In Love, Domestic, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Family, Family Feels, Fluff, Married Life, Older Man/Younger Woman, Parent Daryl, Romance, Timestamp, first word
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-26
Updated: 2016-09-26
Packaged: 2018-08-17 10:05:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,430
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8140081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/boomersoonerash/pseuds/sparkinside
Summary: Hunter says his first word and Daryl feels a bit shocked and maybe a bit sentimental as well.





	

September 24, 2013

"Ain't no use recording him Avie," Merle spoke from the doorway where he was painting the door, a task that Daryl had assigned to him for the day. 

Probably one to keep Merle busy since he had just gotten out of jail two days ago and Daryl wanted to keep his brother away from his crowd of drug friends for as long as possible.

"Hunter's a Dixon and if anything he's a damn stubborn little fellow and he ain't going say his first word yet, not when you want him too," Merle finished with a shrug of his shoulders as he turned away from Avery and went back to painting.

Avery only rolled her eyes as she shook her head, "He was close to talking last night," she defended knowing that when she and Daryl had went out to dinner with Jessica and Glenn that Hunter had been close to talking. Just the way he babbled back to Jessica when she was talking to him, Avery knew he had been close but he hadn't gotten there.

Daryl though on the way home had been much like Merle was now, calling his son stubborn and saying the Dixon gene would probably mean he did things on his own terms and would say his first word when he wanted too.

If Avery was being honest though, Avery felt like Daryl was just saying that because he was afraid deep down that Hunter would have delays of some sort. Mainly because Avery knew Daryl's dad had always told him and Merle both they were idiots and good for nothing and Avery half thought sometimes Daryl felt that way about himself and now he was scared his son would be that way.

When neither case was true, it was just lies that Will Dixon told two boys who he treated like shit because he could. Because they relied on him growing up and he took that to his advantage. He took the power he had as their dad and used it against them with his words and with his actions when he used his hands to beat them.

Hands that had left behind physical scars on Daryl's back. Scars Avery knew Daryl would always be self conscious over, even with her. Because no matter how many times they had sex he still always tried to keep her from looking at the scars on his back.

"Close ain't the real thing," Merle replied back as he brought Avery out of her thoughts and she looked at Merle, watching as he bent down to Hunter who had used his baby walker to move over to where Merle was. "You're a Dixon like me and your daddy and you do things on your own time, don't ya little fellow?" he asked as he gave the baby a smile.

Avery again shook her head as she heard Hunter began to babble to him but both her and Merle seemed to freeze at the exact same moment when Hunter said the word dada and then just looked around as if he was expecting to see Daryl come around the corner, even though Daryl was at work.

"Did you see that?" Avery asked Merle watching as Merle looked up at her, "He said Dada and he looked around for Daryl," she smiled feeling a bit proud of Hunter.

Merle just shook his head, obviously wanting to deny what they had both seen and what she now had on film. "He's been saying dada in his babbles for a while Avie."

"He has but that's the first time he's actually looked around when saying it. Like he knows Dada is a person and he wants that person here," Avery justified as she settled her gaze on Merle before standing from the couch and walking over to where Merle was still bent down in front of Hunter.

"Do you want your dada Hunter?" Avery asked as she gave her son a smile. "Is that why you said dada and looked for him?" she spoke as she smiled more, watching as her son turned to look at her and the camera. "You're such a daddy's boy little man. I think he really lucked out with you."

Hunter just gave a bit of a giggle as he looked at Avery before again saying dada and looking around again as if he expected to see Daryl and this time when he looked back at Avery he gave her a questioning face, which only made Avery turn to Merle.

"See, your nephew isn't as stubborn as you think," she said as she gave him a smirk. "He just said his first real word and it was dada and I'm glad I got this on video so I can show Daryl when he gets in."

Merle only sighed before standing up, "Man's going to be such a sap when you do," he said as he went back to painting. "Won't shut up for a week more than likely once he knows the little fellow said dada as his first word."

Avery who turned off the camera just shrugged as she bent over and got Hunter out of his walker before, standing up as she situated him on her hip. "Maybe so but I love it when my husband is all sappy," she teased as she headed into the kitchen. "You want me to make you something though Merle, I'm going to make myself some lunch and feed little man too. He's really starting to like the peach baby food stuff now that he gets more of it in his mouth lately instead of on his clothes and on him."

"I'm fine," Merle stated as he shook his head. "I'll be fine."

"If you say so," Avery shrugged her shoulders, knowing in the end she'd probably make him a sandwich, regardless of him saying he was fine.

It was just how Avery was now days, taking care of people. Jessica liked to tease her and say it was because she was a mom now and it came with being a mom.

***

"You know," Merle started after he had finished the sandwich Avery had made him. "I can see why Daryl is in love with you."

"Oh really?" Avery asked as she cocked an eyebrow as she looked down at Merle who was sitting at the table, while she was up cleaning what little dishes there were. "And why does Daryl love me according to the wise Merle Dixon?"

Merle chuckled at that slightly, "Cause you take care of him," he shrugged with a sheepish smile. "Don't think anyone has ever done it for the boy before, me included," he said and his last words made Avery pause because she knew it had to take a lot for Merle to admit he hadn't done something. "Don't get me wrong, I love my baby brother. May not say it much but I do. Also know I've failed him sometimes too and not taken care of him like I should, especially after Lynette died and left us with the ole man," he finished referring to their mom by her first name.

Avery fell silent at Merle's words unsure what to say to them, really. What could she say? It was probably the first time that Merle had rendered her speechless.

"Just don't tell anyone I said that," Merle spoke breaking the silence as he stood from the table. "Don't need my reputation ruined for being a sap."

Laughing at that, Avery shook her head because leave it to Merle to ruin a moment, "There isn't anything wrong with being a sap. It works for your brother," she shrugged as her eyes went to the rose he had gotten her a few days ago to say sorry. "Works really well for him," she added on more for herself as she smirked, remembering the make up sex they had, had in this very kitchen.

Merle again let out a chuckle, "It's supposed to work for him with you. You're his wife and he is supposed to be able to get in your panties."

"Fuck you Merle," Avery said before laughing as a blush built on her cheeks.

"Nah, thanks. Don't need Daryl actually killing me," Merle replied back which only made Avery laugh a bit more even if she knew Merle was telling the truth.

Daryl would kill his brother if he ever tried anything with her, which was probably why he never flirted with her like he did every other female he was around for ten minutes. Even the ones who he knew were lesbians like Kate and Lucy.

***

That night after she had got done fixing dinner, Avery only shook her head lightly when she heard Hunter crying from his crib where she had put him down for a nap not long after Merle had left and of course he seemed to wake up like clockwork when dinner was done.

Like even though he couldn't yet eat the food she had made for herself and Daryl he knew it was time to eat and so she slipped out of the kitchen to go and get him from his nursery. 

A smile appearing on her lips the moment she went inside his nursery to find him sitting up, his cries slowing down when he saw her come into the room.

"Hey there my still sleepy little man," she sing songed as she walked to the crib to pick him up. "Did you have a good nap Hunter?" she asked as she kissed his forehead which made him audibly coo some and sometimes she swore he really let his Dixon genes show more than his Hanson ones because Daryl had a tendency to purr like a damn cat when she ran her hands through his hair.

"Your daddy is going to be home soon," she spoke again as she settled him on her hip as she walked out of the room. "You ready to show him that you know what the word dada means? That you can talk and that you know he is your dada?" she asked as they made their way down the hallway and as they did, she swore she heard the familiar sound of Daryl's truck in the driveway.

Which was confirmed when by the time that she and Hunter reached the living room, Daryl was coming inside a smile on his face when he caught sight of her and Hunter.

"I just got dinner done," Avery spoke as she walked to where he was at the door taking off his shoes before shutting the front door. "You can eat before showering if you want," she told him as she leaned in to peck his lips softly. 

After she pulled away she looked down at Hunter, "I think little man here is happy to see his dada though," she said watching as Hunter just looked up at Daryl with a toothy grin, showing off what teeth he did have by now.

Before Daryl could reply though Hunter it seemed followed through in wanting to show Daryl his new skill. That he knew what the word dada meant because as he grinned, the word dada left his mouth as he held his arms out for Daryl with a slight whine.

"Oh, I think he wants you," Avery laughed some as she looked at Daryl. "I mean he's holding his arms out to you and he said dada," she reasoned.

"Kid has been saying dada for ages in his babble," Daryl replied as he took Hunter from Avery. "It meant nothing," he shrugged before Hunter, who settled in his arms, rested his head on Daryl's shoulder, his tiny hand latching onto the shirt that Daryl wore.

"Yeah yeah Merle said the same thing this afternoon," Avery revealed as she walked to the coffee table where she had laid the camera. "But your son proved him wrong," she told him as she turned the camera on and quickly found the video that she had filmed.

Once she had it, she walked to where Daryl was, "Watch this," she spoke before hitting play and letting Daryl see that he was wrong. That it did mean something when Hunter called him dada and had reached out for him.

It meant that Hunter knew who he was and that he was such a daddy's boy. Always probably would be even if the stereotype was that boys were mama's boys. Hunter obviously didn't fit that.

After the video ended, Avery just looked at Daryl, "It means something," she told him with a nod of her head. "He knows what dada means and he know you're it," she said as she watched Daryl look up at her. "Your son is talking. Might be one word right now but he is talking and he knows that you're his daddy."

Daryl finally smiled slightly as he looked down at Hunter whose head was still resting on his shoulder, though Hunter did move his eyes up to look at Daryl.

"He knows who I am," Daryl stated as his smile grew some. "He actually knows things..and he's not..."

"He's not slow," Avery finished for him as she shook her head. "Our son is incredibly smart Daryl and he gets that from you, regardless of what you think. He gets a lot of things from you."

Daryl blushed at Avery's words and Avery wasn't sure he believed them but she was glad he didn't try to argue with her about them.

"He's just...it's so hard to believe he knows so much," Daryl sighed as he shook his head and Avery was certain she thought she saw tears building up in his eyes. 

"He's just a tiny ball of amazement," Avery shrugged her shoulders as she leaned in to peck Daryl's lips. "The best thing you and I ever did together too."

Daryl smiled at the last part of Avery's words, "One of the best," he nodded his head in agreement before moving to head into the kitchen.

As he did so, Avery sighed softly as a content smile worked it's way onto her face. She wasn't sure what she had done right to get him in her life and as her husband but she was thankful she had because as much as she took care of him, he also in ways took care of her too.

Making her feel safe and loved and like she was at home in his presence. He would always be it for her, in every universe she was sure of that.


End file.
